2020 Conference - Call for Papers

2020 Annual International Conference on ADHD

2020 Conference - Call for Papers

The 2020 Annual International Conference on ADHD is the major research, practice, and public information conference dedicated to ADHD. Conference sessions will focus on providing current evidence-based information and its impact on the lives of individuals with ADHD of all ages. The conference will bring together adults with ADHD; parents of children, adolescents, and young adults with ADHD; and professionals working in the field of ADHD, including clinicians, educators, researchers, coaches, organizers, and advocates.

Our theme this year is Strong Minds, Healthy Lives ,tying into new research revealing the impact of poorly managed ADHD on life expectancy. In an effort to promote not only longer life but also a better quality of life, we are especially interested in proposals that facilitate health-promoting activities, such as those related to exercise, eating, sleep, stress reduction, managing substance use, etc. As always, successful proposals will be targeted for an audience of individuals who have ADHD, as well as their family members, various treatment providers, and educators.

The major goals for the conference are to disseminate the latest developments in research, to facilitate an ongoing exchange about issues related to ADHD by individuals with different experiences and viewpoints, to share strategies and tools for all people living with ADHD, and to increase public understanding of the disorder and its impact at work, at school, and at home.

Please remember all members of your audience—who may or may not have ADHD—and their diverse learning styles. For some attendees, interactive, engaging activities are more effective than lectures. Some people learn best by doing, and benefit from a short opportunity to practice a strategy, role play, or try a tool. We will offer potential speakers a free webinar with suggestions to make their content more engaging.

These proposals will be organized by tracks—common topics of interest—that foster exchange, debate, and dialogue among families, mental health professionals, educators, physicians, adults with ADHD, coaches, organizers, and other conference attendees. Sessions for Hispanic/Latino tracks are encouraged and must be submitted in Spanish and English.

At least 3 references (or the minimum number required on the online form)

We strongly encourage you to keep a copy of your submission (in a Word document) in the unlikely event that there is a problem with your submission.

Please note that we begin with a blind review, so please try to refrain from including identifying information in your description or abstract.

As part of recommended best practices for non-profits and because CHADD receives federal funds; CHADD must follow and comply with OMB A-133, which requires that all individuals and organizations CHADD works with are not suspended or barred by the Federal Government.

Conference Presentation Submissions

ADHD Professional Institutes (API)

The first day of the conference will consist of the API sessions with an audience of ADHD coaches, organizers, therapists, prescribing professionals, and educators. These sessions will offer material on providing services to individuals with ADHD or will present foundational knowledge that will better enable providers to work with clients, market their services, collaborate with other professionals, etc. Although there may be some nonprofessionals in attendance, professionals will be the primary audience and presentations should be oriented accordingly. For example, the API might offer a session on how to coach the parents of children with ADHD, but would not offer a session for parents on how to set effective limits with their children. Therefore, sessions with a primary audience of nonprofessionals should be submitted to the general conference.

Most API sessions will be sixty minutes, with a limited number of three-hour sessions for topics that require greater depth. You may apply for either one or both.

General Conference

The general conference will consist of a broad range of presentations with a much more diverse audience. These will include sessions similar to the API sessions that are related to service delivery for professionals, but also sessions for adults living with ADHD; parents of children, adolescents, and young adults with ADHD; romantic partners, etc. Regardless of their topic and intended audience, presenters should expect a range of attendees. For example, a session on fine-tuning medications intended for prescribers will likely also attract therapists, coaches, adults with ADHD, parents, etc.

Please note that the conference committee may move sessions from the general conference to the API and vice versa in order to provide a balanced program. If you choose to only apply to one, we will ask you before making the move.

General Submission Requirements

Please submit your proposal online by March 16, 2020. Please note that this year all submission types will have the same deadline. Only online submissions will be considered.

Selection Criteria

Submissions will be evaluated by the members of the conference program review committee and will begin with a blind review. Criteria for selection will include:

Appropriateness of subject matter (relevance to the goals of the conference as outlined in this call for papers)

An understanding of the context of the presentation (its relationship to current research and an understanding about the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD)

Potential for facilitating an ongoing exchange about issues related to ADHD by individuals with different experiences and viewpoints

Increasing understanding of the disorder and its impact among spouses, families, and the public

Where appropriate, soundness of research design, methodology, and data analysis.

If your proposal is chosen, these guidelines will apply:

Persons whose presentations are accepted must participate at the time scheduled by the conference program committee.

Submission of the proposal indicates agreement that the Annual International Conference on ADHD Committee may record the presentation. Recordings are made available for purchase after the conference.

Handouts are required for all presentations. Presenters must provide handouts to the Conference Department by August 14, 2020, in order for them to be included in the conference app. Handouts should be provided electronically in Word or PowerPoint (please convert your PowerPoint to handout format). Handouts received after the August 14 deadline will not be included on the conference website or in the conference app, and may affect future consideration of submissions.

Notifications will be made in April or May 2020.

Scientific Research Posters

Research in the area of ADHD related to specific topics of etiology, epidemiology, and social, familial, medical, and educational matters will be presented in a research poster session. Abstracts will be selected by a panel of reviewers based on scientific merit as well as on space limitations and the need for a balance of topics.

Submission Requirements

Abstracts that describe actual empirical research are preferred.

Abstracts should be no longer than 500 words and contain biographical information for those who will be presenting the poster at the conference.

Graduate Students Research Award

An abstract submitted by a graduate student which represents his or her primary efforts will be selected for a special research award. The winner of this award will receive a complimentary conference registration.

If you are interested in being considered for this award, please mark your abstract “Research Award Submission.”

Innovative Programs

As employers, parents, educators, and healthcare providers become more aware of the needs of adults and children with ADHD and their families, they are finding extremely creative ways of addressing these needs. Such efforts include developing new and innovative programs, modifying existing programs, accommodating the needs of the person with ADHD through individually designed working and learning environments that accommodate his or her special needs, and developing company-wide and community-wide collaborative models.

Individuals representing a wide array of innovative programs and services will be on hand to share information with conference attendees on the opening night in the exhibit hall. Please note that this is not a formal presentation, but rather an opportunity for informal discussion, sharing of ideas, and networking.

Non-Session Activities

In order to provide a more diverse offering of experiences, we are soliciting ideas for alternatives from the standard speaker sessions. For example, last year we had peer support meet-up groups, recovery meetings, coach speed dating and many other non-session activities during the conference. Bring some of your most creative ideas to the conference.

The Conference Committee will not be able to underwrite the expenses of presenters accepted from this call for proposals.